


Reflection

by Mikii



Category: Ava's Demon
Genre: F/M, Post-Vial Ava
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 16:40:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11513310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikii/pseuds/Mikii
Summary: "Whose bright idea was it to bring the girl who spews lava to a cave made of ice!?"





	Reflection

**Author's Note:**

> Quickly written thing in half an hour. Note: This was written BEFORE Ava awoke following her vial transformation in comic so her opinions on her physical changes and her actions may differ from canon.
> 
> Also fun fact: When boiling water is introduced to freezing temperatures abruptly, it turns to mist instantly.

“Y-You did it again.”

At the abrupt (and rather vague accusation) Ava glanced aside at her companion as they meandered through the ice caves and frowned in response. “Did what?”

Odin briefly cast her a glance before returning his attention forward. “Y-You always look away… when you see your reflection in something.” They turned a corner and the pathway became narrower as they shifted to walking single-file with Odin in the lead.

Ava glared at the back of his head following the comment, deciding not to dignify it with a response as she instead attempted to focus on getting through this accursed underground labyrinth. The temperature was far below freezing and even though she was wearing several layers of gear and had molten lava flowing through her veins, each inhale sent an involuntary sharp chill into her burning lungs. 

She felt as if she was being slowly frozen internally.

They made it through the narrow portion of the cave and entered a wider area where the ceiling was hidden beneath rows of thick ice stalactites hanging down. Odin paused for a moment to look up at their glistening sharp points whilst she meanwhile strode past him and went ahead.

When he caught up with her, he persisted on.

“I br-brought it up because… I've noticed you’ve only done that s-since you transformed.” He stepped into pace beside her as he observed her face without subtlety in trying to read her expression.

“Now who’s the pervert spying on other people?” The floor beneath her feet sizzled with each footstep.

He scoffed. “D-Don’t flatter yourself… and you’re avoiding t-the subject.”

“It’s none of your business.” Her skin shone brighter, ice within close proximity melting away.

“I-Is it because you look more like her?”

She spun on her feet and glowered at him. “I **_said_** butt out!”

He actually looked startled by her outburst, raising his hands in front of him in a placating manner. He spoke but she didn't catch his words, attention snatched away by the sight of her reflection in the wall behind him. Red lips were pulled back to display pointed teeth, slit pupils burning with animosity and drowning in a sea of red as her scleras changed colour. Her skin glowed like the sun, with pointed ears and sharp horns completing the terrifying appearance staring back at her.

She looked the spitting image of Wrathia.

Ava jerked back so abruptly her back slammed against the wall, steam rising as the surface of the cave sizzled and burnt away to liquid upon coming into contact with her. Her eyes dropped down to the floor to avoid sight of herself, vaguely noting the fact they were now standing in a puddle of water as she grabbed at her head and tried to control her breathing.

She wasn’t her.

She wasn’t Wrathia.

She wasn’t her tormentor.

She was Ava.

Ava Ire.

-and she was NOT a demon!

“H-Hey-!” Odin appeared in her vision as he stepped towards her with alarm, hands outstretched. She flinched away from him, pushing herself further into the wall which gave way like butter beneath the heat she gave off.

“A-Ava!” He grabbed at her wrists only to wince when the heat from her skin could be felt even through the thick gloves he wore. She snapped her head up at the sound of pain but before she could open her mouth to yell at him she noted his expression. He looked...

...terrified.

"Y-Y-You.... you n-need.... t-t-to calm down!" he forced out, words more jumbled than usual as his grip on her wrists tightened until _she_ was the one wincing in pain. "O-O-Otherwise w-we're both going to be t-t-taking a s-swim...!"

It was then she became aware of the water now level with their ankles as the ice on the walls and ceiling continued to rapidly melt due to the spike in temperature emitting from her. The water bubbled around her feet as it boiled from her proximity, but even with that evaporating the water level was still rising as the cave submitted to the high temperature. The stalactites that had been hanging from the ceiling were either melting or falling down as one fell into the water a few feet from them and sent a splash of water against their legs. Odin flinched at the contact, body trembling and fingers squeezing her wrists hard enough to bruise even though she had long since eaten through his gloves and was now burning his skin.

If it had been any other situation she _wouldn't_ have calmed down. She would have worked herself into a frenzy or run off. But when he was looking at her like _that_  and holding onto her as if she was the only thing tethering him down, Ava found herself cooling down all too quickly. She knew she'd succeeded when the water ceased sizzling upon meeting her skin, and the boiling water at her feet released a plume of mist upon being introduced to below freezing temperatures so suddenly. Ava would have fanned it away had both her hands not been restrained by the older boy before her. She felt him tense as their vision was briefly obstructed from one another.

"I'm here."

The words left her lips automatically to reassure him since she feared he'd otherwise have his own panic attack. Ava recalled him telling her on one occasion before that he disliked water - she'd never realised just how serious his fear was.

"Come on." She managed to move one hand and slide it into his own as the mist finally faded around them, allowing them to see the exit once again. Pulling him along, she headed down the pathway which was on a raised incline and after a while they left the pool of water behind them. As they entered another area which wasn't affected by her outburst, Ava looked back to find him staring at his feet as he breathed heavily in an attempt to compose himself.

He was still gripping her hand.

"...Are you okay?" she asked and when he jerked his head up to stare at her with a hard gaze she knew that was pretty stupid question to ask. He noted their joined hands and yanked his own back as if she'd burnt him - which technically, she had.

"D-D-Don't..." He was still shaking, and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as he grit his teeth together to collect his words. " **Don't**.... e-ever do that again."

Her temper flared at that, a look on indignation passing her face. "You think I did that on purpose? It would have never been an issue if you hadn't been pushing your nose in!"

His eyes shot open at her sharp retort and he looked over to her in surprise before his eyes narrowed and his lips pressed together. "...I-I w-w-w.... w-was...." He stopped and his nostrils flared in frustration at the fact he was unable to get more than a few words out. Ava's anger dampened once again upon noting how effected he was, which wasn't fair god dammit! She _wanted_ to be angry at him - he deserved it! It was his fault! She had every right to be mad at him and lash out!

...So why did she feel so guilty?

"...Do you want me to treat your hands?" 

He gave her a confused look. "M-My.... m-my h-h-hands?" Odin looked down at them only to blink in surprise at the damage down to the palms of his hands. It looked like second-degree burns. He made the unwise decision of touching one only to hiss in pain, and then as if he had opened the floodgates and the pain had all come at once, the older boy swore colorfully.

"I can patch them up," she offered, taking a step forward.

"No." His reply was instant, not looking in her direction as he sat down on a ledge of ice and attempted to dig out some bandages from his backpack. Clearly rebuffed, Ava settled for sitting down as well although several feet away from him.

The silence was uncomfortable. She sat and chewed the inside of her mouth and picked at her fingernails for something to do, meanwhile Odin did the best he could to bandage his burnt hands until they returned to the ship with a proper first aid kit.

The atmosphere between them was as cold as the temperature of the cave itself. 

The both of them stewed in their own thoughts for a long time before Odin eventually spoke up again. His lips were pulled into a slight grimace, reluctance clear in his face as the words left his mouth. “I... I-I shouldn’t have asked about your issue… I won’t ask about it a-again so…” 

Ava look towards him but his attention was still on his hands. She knew he wasn't the type to apologise so this was the nearest to one she'd ever get. She swallowed and returned her gaze to her knees.

“…You were right.” 

Odin blinked at the barely audible response. “W-What?”

She avoided his gaze, hugging herself. “You were right... I don’t like looking at myself. I try to avoid it if I can since.... since I look too much like her. I don’t even look human anymore, I look like a m-" She cut herself off, clamping her lips together.

“A monster?”

Ava snapped her head around to stare at him in utter devastation. Odin flinched, holding his bandaged hands out with a look of alarm. “A-Ah, I didn’t mean- I-I don’t think that-! I was j-just… finishing what you were going to say…! Honest.” He lowered his hands somewhat. "I-I don't think you're a monster..."

She continued to eye him for an extended amount of time, visible beads of sweat lining his forehead at her intense scrutinisation. Until, eventually, she turned her head with a snort. He relaxed in relief.

“…Do you mean that?” she mumbled softly without looking back at him, using her hair to her advantage to conceal her face, “you don’t think I’m monstrous?” 

“Heh… I-I saw you have _five_ wipeouts i-in one day. You don’t scare me.”

She looked across to him with pursed lips. “…I can’t keep believe you kept count. Now who’s the sad one?”

“You, b-because you had five wipeouts in one day.”

She glared at him. He smirked smugly. The atmosphere was warmer.

“…Anyway, sh-should we move on? My s-socks are wet and it’s really despairing.” More so than the burnt hands apparently, but she felt he was avoiding mention of them for her sake - it wouldn't stop her from guilt-tripping herself over the injury of his for weeks though.

“Fine. Though honestly, whose bright idea was it to bring the girl who spews lava to a cave made of _ice!?”_ She resumed hugging herself as they stood and trod onwards through the tunnels.

“I-I’d offer you my jacket again… but I d-don’t need another one being burnt up.”

“That was one time!”

“You j-just ruined my gloves as well. You’re going to owe m-me an entire wardrobe soon… o-or is this your way of trying to get me out of my clothes?”

She smacked him around the shoulder.

"Ow!"

**Author's Note:**

> I have this beautiful image in my mind of Odin gripping onto Ava as the cavern of ice melts around them but trying to put it into actual words and description is.... difficult. I couldn't do the scene justice which is irksome.
> 
> Anyway, I'm posting this separately and not in my collection of Ava x Odin works within 'Ignite my Veins' because I may or may not expand upon this / do a connected sequel at some point.


End file.
